How to Attach Feet to a Clawfoot Tub

Change the feet on your tub to match your bath decor.

A freestanding clawfoot tub can transport you from the present and back to Victorian times with their elegant shapes and beautiful claw feet. These cast iron, porcelain covered tubs, come in different shapes, such as a traditional flat-topped clawfoot tub, slipper clawfoot tub and a double-ended clawfoot tub. Each of these tubs requires a set of feet to raise them off the floor. The design of the tub allows you to choose a variety of tub feet designs to make your clawfoot tub unique, matching the claw feet to your bath decor.

1

Lay an old blanket on the floor to protect your bathtub. Turn your bathtub over so that the bottom of the tub faces up. If you have a slipper footed tub — the back is higher than the foot of the tub — you may need to brace it with wood blocks. Make sure you wrap the blocks in old towels or blankets to protect the porcelain from damage.

2

Find the mounting lugs attached to the bottom of the tub. The lug is a raised piece on the bottom of the tub with a slot cut into one side. Slide the bolts supplied with the tub feet into the slots cut in the lugs. Make sure the bolt threads face away from the tub and point toward the ceiling. You may need to tap the bolts gently with a rubber mallet to slide them to the end of the lug. Wrap the bolt threads in a rag to protect the threads should you need to tap them in place.

3

Place each tub foot on the floor next to your clawfoot tub to coordinate with the correct tub lug. For example, the foot marked as “A” will attach to the “A” lug. Slide the feet onto the bolts. Position the tub feet where they sit snug against the bottom of the tub and the exterior wall.

4

Thread the nuts onto the bolts that came with the tub feet. Hand-tighten the nuts onto the bolts connected to the feet.

5

Flip the tub back over and allow it to rest on its feet. Make sure each foot is resting solidly on the bathroom floor.

6

Tighten each bolt with an 11/16 inch box wrench. If the feet wobble, remove the foot that appears not to touch the floor and insert the shims or washers provided with the feet until the tub no longer rocks when placed upright.

Things You Will Need

Old blanket

Wood blocks

Old towels

Rubber mallet

Rag

11/16-inch box wrench

Warning

Many clawfoot tubs are made of cast iron covered in porcelain, so they can be very heavy. Have several assistants to help you to lift and turn a cast iron tub to avoid damaging the tub and injuring yourself.

About the Author

Cecilia Harsch has been writing professionally since 2009. She writes mainly home improvement, health and travel articles for various online publications. She has several years of experience in the home-improvement industry, focusing on gardening, and a background in group exercise instruction. Harsch received her Certified Nurses Assistant license in 2004. She attended Tarrant County College and studied English composition.